


Monster Reborn

by SadistiKitteh



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh!
Genre: Gen, Implied Yami Bakura/Marik Ishtar, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Warnings May Change, Yami Marik's name will change a few times
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-01
Updated: 2018-12-17
Packaged: 2019-01-27 21:03:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,650
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12590476
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SadistiKitteh/pseuds/SadistiKitteh
Summary: Yami Malik is forced to cope with his new body and life after Malik accidentally summons him through a ritual. All he knows is that in the eyes of Malik and his siblings, he's a monster. But he can't pretend he's just a monster for long.





	1. Chapter 1

  
It started as a flicker of pain, which flared into agony as he took his first breath into his new body. Next he felt the cold floor under him, and then felt his body shudder as the cold spread over his skin. His ears rang, but he could faintly hear an anguished sound; followed by a sound of something falling. His head was still swimming with the idea he was alive; the fact he heard the other male’s cursing as the ringing in his ears wore off cemented his existence in a new body.  
  
He could feel his heartbeat in his chest and the warmth it brought throughout his body. His skin still felt chilled and he hugged his chest as if to keep the heat within him. After a while, the voice he heard sent a shock of familiarity through his mind; his thoughts were too muddled to know why.  
  
“I didn’t want you!”  
  
He grimaced at the feeling that washed over him, something he had only ever seen as weakness. But it hurt in a way he’d never known, and the new emotion made his eyes water and spill over his cheeks. It was only then he tried to open his eyes.  
  
The light hurt and feeling the air on his eyes stung them; his new eyes squeezing tightly to relieve the pain. He tried again and looked up at whom had made him feel the pain of life. His bleary eyes met wide lavender, and he stared a moment as recognition clicked into his mind; Malik.  
  
He opened his mouth to speak, but his throat was hoarse and it hurt. His voice came out weak and scratchy as he spoke for the first time.  
  
“Why…”  
  
He didn’t get to finish his question before Malik bolted from the room.  
  
The door was left open, but he didn’t want to leave. He wasn’t sure what would happen if he left the room; whether he’d be consumed by shadows again or be attacked by who he knew to be his other half. He stood slowly, bracing himself on the bed frame. He felt disgusted by how afraid he felt in this new body, where he couldn’t push the new emotions onto another mind. The lack of control bothered him. He rubbed his eyes of drying tears, trying instead to bottle his fear deep inside himself. Malik only saw him as a monster, so a monster he’ll be.  
  
His body betrayed him however; as he jolted when the door swung open fully, revealing Malik had left to grab a knife. The idea of pain no longer thrilled him as it once had, and fear once again bubbled up when the knife pointed at his heart.  
  
“Don’t move. I brought you to life and,” Malik hesitated, uncertainty flickered in his eyes, “I will end it if you try anything.”  
  
He stared at Malik’s face, once again feeling the pain of rejection. His other half didn’t want him, yet he hesitated to end his life. He stepped closer to feel the blade dig into his skin, fighting the urge to pull away from the pain. Malik saw him as a monster, he’d be a monster.  
  
“Oops. I moved.”  
  
The terror flooding Malik’s face caused a ripple of laughter to escape, feeling in control for the first time since he’d been given his new body. He wanted the other to hurt and feel fear the same way he’d felt only moments before.  
  
And then he was punched in the face.  
  
He crumpled to the floor, grasping his face and trembling as waves of pain sparked from his jaw. He could barely recover before he was kicked; a pathetic cry escaping his lips. It was too much pain all at once, and his body betrayed him; curling into himself out of fear of being struck again. He couldn’t pay attention to what Malik screamed at him, only flinching away and berating himself for losing control so easily.  
  
He felt before he heard another presence in the room, gritting his teeth once he recognized the siblings’ voices. He could hear the shock in the sister’s voice, and the placating tone from Malik’s loyal servant. He waited for another kick or to be slammed into a wall, but nothing came. He held his face as he sat up, just listening to the three as if they were discussing his judgement. ‘Let him end me,’ he thought, ‘I’m not wanted, let him end me.’  
  
The voices faded, and he realized they had left him alone in the room again. He opened his eyes to find the door was closed, isolating him in a room he no longer felt safe in.  
  
He slowly got to his feet again, looking for anything to protect himself. He wouldn’t let Malik catch him off guard again; he wasn’t supposed to be the weaker half. The pain he felt from his face and side was a reminder that he was letting Malik gain the control. Without his own weapon, he’d continue to lose control. ‘They should have let him kill me, what a stupid mistake.’ He thought to himself, smirking at the idea of Malik begging for his life.  
  
His face was neutral as he searched for a weapon for when they came back. He knew this was Malik’s room after all, and they couldn’t keep him here long. He peeked under the bed, climbing under to see if Malik hid a weapon there. All he could see were crumpled papers and misplaced clothes. But fear suddenly gripped him, realizing how dark and cramped the little area was. ‘Idiot, I’ve embraced the darkness. I am what the darkness fears!’  
  
But even as he attempted to push down his fear, his chest felt tight the longer he stayed. He went to crawl back out, only to realize he’d somehow wedged himself under the bed enough to get stuck. His breath came quickly then, and his brain abandoned all effort to hide his fear. He should’ve known; he wasn’t brought out of the shadows. Now the dark was making itself known, and he felt it closing in at the edge of his vision.  
  
With a frustrated cry, he bucked his shoulders up enough for the bed to move. He froze, feeling the pressure on his chest lift some, and he bucked again. He used all his strength to shove the bed up enough to scramble out from underneath, not registering that he’d completely tipped the bed to its side. He pressed his back to the opposite wall, trying to catch his breath. He wasn’t aware that he was shaking, or that tears had started spilling down his cheeks.  
  
His eyes were fixed to the bed, waiting for the shadows to reach out and drag him back into the dark. He only realized he’d attracted attention when he saw Malik and his servant turning the bed upright again. Malik caught his gaze and gave him a bitter glare in return. He snarled to hide his previous fear, barely aware of a blanket being draped around him.  
  
He shot a glare at the woman, whose face was neutral aside from the concern in her eyes. Malik warned her to stay away, and she should have listened. He was a monster, after all.  
  
He gripped the blanket close to his body, only then realizing it helped him stay warm. When she knelt down to his eye level, he bared his teeth at her. He refused to show weakness no matter who it was, even if his breath was still uneven. And he knew better than to underestimate Malik’s sister.  
  
“What should we call you?” She asked.  
  
His thoughts stalled then, realizing that he’d never had any name other than the one he’d taken from his weaker half. He knew that he wanted a name that would strike fear into the hearts of anyone that crossed his path, a name fitting for a monster. He chuckled, amused that she would ask something so simple of all the questions he knew she must have. He met her eyes, a smirk tugging at his lips.  
  
“Darkness.”


	2. Chapter 2

Malik begrudgingly parted with a pair of pants and a shirt to dress him, and he felt no better accepting the clothing. He was quickly growing stifled and annoyed by the three; but since he’d flipped over Malik’s bed, they decided he wasn’t allowed to be left to his own devices. The silence was thick enough in the room that as he pulled the shirt over his head, he could hear a small huff of breath from Malik as he turned to dress.

“You have no scars. Of course you have no scars.” Malik said in a bitter tone, crossing his arms and turning away. 

He turned his head to look at Malik, a smirk tugging his lips. “You can always change that.” 

Malik made an alarmed sound, a brief look of horror crossing his face before he promptly left the room; so much for that bit of entertainment.

He tugged the shirt over his body, finding that the shirt did not fully cover him as much as he’d like. He leered down at the shirt; he hated being exposed like this, but could only curse Malik for his choice of clothing. He was about to leave the room but caught his reflection in Malik’s mirror. A snarl slowly grew on his face, realizing just how similar his own body, _his_ face was to his weaker self. The clothes only made the similarities blinding to him.

He turned his head at the sound of the door opening again and stepped back seeing it was Malik’s servant Rishid, the name had only then came back to him. Rishid did not move closer when noticing his defensive stance. “If you are finished, Parasite, we need to discuss—“

“You are to call me Darkness!” He hissed; glaring now as his hands balled into fists.

“No one is calling you Darkness, that’s not a proper name.”

“Neither is parasite, and yet _you_ use it like it is mine!”

“That’s enough, both of you,” The woman’s voice called from behind the door. He could feel her eyes on him as Rishid stepped aside to let her inside the room. “We’ve decided your name will be Karim legally, until you can make a proper choice.” 

He leered suspiciously at Malik’s sister, disliking that even she was ordering him around. “And why should I accept this? You were the one to ask _me_ what I want to be named!” 

“Use that one as a nickname then, _Darkness_ ,” Malik was using an overly sweet voice from the safety of the hallway, as if mocking the name he picked, “But your real name will be Karim Ishtar from now on. Now get out of my room.” 

The two siblings left the room, leaving the door open to let him walk out on his own. 

He didn’t like the name Karim and he wanted to be as far removed from the Ishtar name as possible. He had no choice but to choose a new name, and felt frustrated that the only names he knew were either from the Ishtar clan or the names of people he controlled through the Millennium Rod. 

And nothing he could think of suited his fancy, so Karim begrudgingly accepted his new name. 

Karim threw his reflection a final glare before gathering enough will to leave the room. He stepped into the now empty hallway and released a breath he wasn’t aware he was holding. A small part of him still felt that the moment he left the room, the illusion would dissolve and he’d be facing shadows again. He just stood in front of Malik’s room now, staring at the floor as if expecting it to dissolve at any moment. 

He looked up once he was sure nothing was changing to look at his surroundings. There was a door on either side of him, as well as one on the far right; the sound of Malik speaking with one of the siblings in a quiet voice carried through the entryway at the far left. His legs felt heavy as he approached the entryway, unsure where else to go now that he had left Malik’s room. 

Malik and Rishid were sitting at a table, facing away from Karim and both staring at a laptop. He wasn’t sure if they even heard him walk in and just stood at the entryway, not wanting to be noticed. He thought about looking in another room to stay away from the family, or possibly just finding an exit so he can leave the three behind entirely. He had been so distracted by his thoughts that he didn’t notice Malik’s sister approach him until she held something out to him, causing him to step back in alarm. He scowled when he realized how easily she caught him off guard. 

A hint of fear shown in the woman’s eyes from his reaction, and that was enough to satisfy him. 

“It’s ice,” she said, glancing where his stomach showed, “for your bruise, doesn’t it hurt?” 

_Bruise?_

Karim looked down at himself, leering at the exposed bit of skin when he realized it showed the darkening bruise on his side. He attempted to tug the shirt down again, and felt annoyed when it just sprung back into place. The bruise itself did hurt now that he’d noticed it, but he wanted that pain to remind him he was living. “I don’t need anything.” 

He noticed Malik glancing his way, only to divert his attention back to the laptop again. Karim crossed his arms, fully turning to face Malik. He barely acknowledged Rishid staring him down. “Why did you bring me back?” 

Malik seemed to freeze at the question, but still didn’t turn to look at Karim. “I…did not mean to.” Malik replied, his voice sounding as if he was trying to keep his emotions hidden. 

“That was obvious the moment I could hear you.” Karim growled; leering at Malik’s back. 

“Then there’s nothing else to say.” 

“Other than what you could have possibly have wanted out of the Shadow Realm that made bringing me out of it a mistake.” 

It seemed as if the other two siblings wanted the same answers, because neither spoke up in Malik’s defense or tried to divert his questioning. However, Malik let the silence draw out unbearably long. Karim couldn’t see Malik’s expression, but could tell Rishid had decided there would be no answers when his attention turned back to Karim. 

“You’re staying in the guest room, it’s behind you.” 

Karim looked behind him at the door, suddenly unnerved by what could possibly be behind it. He turned his head to glare at Rishid, unconsciously hugging his arms closer to his chest. “You can’t just lock me away in a room to pretend I don’t exist.” 

“Be glad we gave you a room at all!” Malik snapped, turning to face Karim fully this time, “You shouldn’t even _be_ here!” 

“Maybe a couple more kicks would have solved that problem.” Karim sneered, gesturing to his side. 

Malik’s sister just shook her head and pressed the ice pack in her hand against Karim’s side, making him hiss from the cold. “No matter the circumstances, Karim is here now. And we’re not pretending you don’t exist either, it’s a room for yourself. You’ll need one if you’re staying.” 

Karim grabbed the ice pack from his side, shooting the woman a glare. “Did I say I wanted to stay here? How do you know I’m not planning your demise as you sleep?” 

“Are you?” 

The woman gave Karim with a guarded look; both Malik and Rishid glaring at him as if daring him to respond. It was clear no one in the room trusted him, but he felt more out of place realizing it hadn’t even been a thought until now. He wanted to find a weapon to keep Malik from trying to attack him again, but he was focused more on surviving than anything else. 

He turned away from the three and went into his assigned room, deciding he’d rather face what’s behind that door over talk about his thoughts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So it's been about...5-6 years since I wrote a multi-chapter fic (At least more than 2 chapters planned), so new chapters might come out slowly as I adjust to this again. As for why "Karim" remembers Rishid's name but not Isis'? Resurrection-lag c:


	3. Chapter 3

Karim mainly spent his time in his room, with either of the older siblings checking on him or bringing him food and water. He hadn’t seen Malik since he’d been given the room to stay in, and he was fine with that. Though the bruise was starting to yellow and shrink now, his still aching side reminded him he was never welcomed. He assumed the only reason they were helping him now was so they felt less guilty when making him leave, so he enjoyed the comforts he had now.

How he chose to enjoy them now was to lie on the bed and stare at the ceiling. The light overhead was glaring into his eyes, but he didn't feel like turning his head or moving from his spot. His isolation wasn't because he was avoiding Malik, instead he was stuck in a loop of contemplating his sudden second chance.

Karim still felt uncertain of it, anger and hatred was all he had known and flourished in; it was all he thought he was. How was he complete enough to have been brought out of the Shadow Realm in his own body? Was this what he really wanted, or did he just want the power of control? His hand moved from it's place to prod lazily at his bruised side, his eyebrows furrowing at how quickly he flinched away from the pain.

He felt less like how he used to be without that control, and it angered him. He wanted to ask about the Rod and, when Malik’s sister came to bring him a meal, he decided he’d try to get her to reveal where it was.

“Malik doesn’t have the Rod anymore, does he?”

The woman paused, shaking her head as she set down the plate on the bedside table. “No. Even if you were to find it, the Rod holds no power anymore.”

Karim leered at her; he thought Malik’s sister was only covering for the Pharaoh. How could she still be loyal to someone that caused Malik’s pain?

“You’re lying.”

This time, the woman glared back at him. “The Rod is where the rest of the Items are; powerless and buried beneath the ruins they were created in. I witnessed it with my brothers as our final duty as tomb-keepers.”

Karim continued leering, watching for any sign or break that would tell him she was lying. She didn’t budge, as if she knew he was testing her. His confidence waned the more he watched her, and then he finally looked away. He felt his chest constrict; if Malik's sister noticed his breathing pick up, he couldn’t tell.

He wouldn't dare reveal how nervous he was, or show he actually needed the Rod to be powerful. No matter how resolute the woman was, he couldn't accept his one source of power (and protection, as much as he hated to admit it) was gone.

He was fully at the mercy of this family he'd terrorized with his mere presence in their lives.

"After you finish your lunch, Rishid is taking you to get your own clothes."

Karim's head lifted sharply to look at Malik's sister, frowning. "What's wrong with what I have?"

"They're not really your clothes, you should at least have something of your own."

"And you're just gifting me this? I find that hard to believe."

"You haven't tried to hurt us, and I'm doubting you ever thought about it," Karim sneered at the observation, but Malik's sister ignored it, "If you aren't ready to go out yet, we'll let you pick clothes to order online."

"Why are you bothering? You'll force me out once I've healed." Karim growled, unconsciously pulling his legs closer to his body.

"That wouldn't be responsible," Malik's sister hesitated a moment before sitting on the edge of Karim's bed, keeping a comfortable distance between them, "If you choose to leave, then that's your choice to make. You should at least get a chance to do something different with the life you were given."

Karim observed the woman as she spoke. He still didn't trust any of them, but felt she wasn't lying to him. However, she was keeping something from him and he was wary about the secrets she was keeping.

He grew uncomfortable with the silence that followed, and spoke up again just as Malik's sister began to make her way out of the room.

"What do I call you?"

"Call me?" The woman asked, turning to look at Karim again.

"I know Malik and Rishid, but I can't recall what to call you."

"...You can call me Isis."

* * *

Karim came out of his room a short time later, taking a cursory glance at Malik's room before heading into the kitchen. He placed his empty plate in the sink, and looked up to see Rishid sitting at the kitchen table. Rishid's gaze was locked to the laptop, barely moving except to type or use the mouse.

"Are you ready to go out?" Rishid asked calmly, eyes still glued to the laptop screen.

Karim frowned, reminded of what Isis had told him after he asked about the Rod. He shook his head after a moment. "No."

He didn't want to have to talk to Rishid, but he didn't have much choice. Isis had apparently left for the rest of the day and Malik...

He had no interest in speaking to Malik either.

Rishid finally looked up at Karim, gesturing to a seat next to him, "Ordering online it is. You will need to wait for it--"

"I know how online ordering works!" Karim snapped, irritated.

He didn't move closer to Rishid, gripping onto the kitchen counter to anchor himself. The revelation he had when learning about the Items reared it's head, and he fully expected to be put in place for his outburst. He felt tense, and grew angry that he felt himself trembling.

He shouldn't be afraid, he was what people were supposed to fear. He may as well have been thrown back to the Shadow Realm.

Or dragged back to the tomb.

Karim barely registered someone calling his name and, when he opened his eyes, realized it was Rishid. He'd moved closer, but still kept his distance. Karim felt his eyes sting and he rubbed them. His fingers ached when he did so, but he didn't care. He pulled his hand back and stared at it when he felt dampness on his cheeks.

When did he start crying? _Why_ did he start crying?

He only looked up when Rishid held out a box of tissues; close enough to grab one or two, but far enough to give Karim his space.

This isn't the first time Rishid has done this.

Karim pulled a couple tissues from the box to wipe his face, irritated that Rishid looked at him with pity. He was a monster, wasn't he? That's all he had been: the monster under their little brother's bed. They should be afraid of him, not pitying him. Isn't that how this worked?

"Do you know how to use the laptop?" Rishid asked calmly.

Rishid definitely dealt with this before.

"No."

"I will order for you, I just need you to pick the clothing you like. Is this fine?"

Karim felt almost uncomfortable with how Rishid treated him. An unnamed emotion was writhing inside him, trying to get his attention. He held himself as if to keep it in control.

"Yes."

"I'll make us tea, you can go find somewhere comfortable. We don't need to sit at the table."

And Rishid did just that, turning to grab a kettle to place on the stove. Karim was unnerved, why hadn't Rishid asked what that was? Did he even know what happened to him? Did Rishid know he was afraid, was it that obvious?

Karim realized his body started feeling sore, and his hands seemed to tremble more from adrenaline than pain. He decided, just this once, that Rishid had the right idea and went into the living room. After tossing away the tissues in his hand, he claimed a seat next to a window to look outside.

It hit him then; this is the first time he actually _looked_ outside since he was brought out of the Shadow Realm. He could see they were high up, overlooking the city below. The sun was high and the sky was clear, save for a few clouds. Karim slowly stood and moved closer to the window. He could see people walking below, some were on bikes or in vehicles. He could tell they were in Egypt, but he couldn't place where.

He was jolted out of his thoughts by the kettle whistling, making him frown from being caught off guard. He turned to sit back in his chosen spot, looking out the window to watch the clouds. The light hurt his stinging eyes, but he didn't care. He'd probably stare directly into the sun if he didn't know it would blind him.

Karim turned when hearing a soft clatter of cups being placed. Rishid poured them both some tea, then sat on the couch nearby. Again, he kept his distance.

"Isis mentioned you asked about the Millenium Items."

Karim huffed out a breath, but didn't respond. Rishid picked up his cup, not looking at Karim as he continued, "What would you do when you got the Rod?"

"Leave."

He could see Rishid look at him then, from the corner of his eye. "Just that?"

"Yes," Karim looked at Rishid, face carefully hiding his emotions, "But it's no use to me now."

Rishid nodded once, then set his cup down to stand and grab the laptop from the kitchen table. Karim watched a moment, before picking up his own cup to drink from. It felt surreal to not have the sibling's anger or hate directed his way.

'It's because I look like _him_ ,' Karim thought bitterly as he sipped his tea, 'They treat me like this because they can pretend I'm Malik.'

He decided in order to remind them of the monster he is, Karim would do anything he could to separate himself from Malik. He would make sure they could never mistake him for Malik ever again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I made a couple changes to the previous chapters, but nothing overly noticeable (maaybe??). Next chapter may be a while again considering any summer plans and a one-shot I want to finish, just so you know~
> 
> Much love for all the Kudos, I'd love to hear how you like this story so far! c:


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oooh snap, finally updated~! I...heavily underestimated how busy I'd end up being towards the end of the year. I apologize, I got caught up in a whirlwind of life and new fic ideas, but all of it has been training me to write more so I really hope to write more chapters soon c:
> 
> And a note about the shirt described, [it's pretty much this shirt](https://www.dhresource.com/webp/m/0x0s/f2-albu-g3-M01-30-29-rBVaHVYMso-AOKxjAAGOf21BpaA698.jpg/fg1509-men-shirt-2015-summer-style-gypsophila-pattern-shirt-mens-slim-fit-long-sleeve-suit-shirt-casual-camisa-social-camisa-masculina.jpg), which was the first image of a weird-yet-fancy shirt I could find that might make Malik recoil. :P

Karim felt excitement in opening the boxes full of clothes that arrived weeks after ordering them. He eagerly tossed the borrowed clothes at the door, pulling out each folded piece of clothing and setting them on his bed. He felt satisfied with what he picked out, knowing there was no way Malik would wear any of these things. 

He picked out what he'd wear first, storing the rest in his closet to pick out next time. He decided on a pair of cheap jeans he'd bought multiple pairs of and a white button up shirt with a pattern of blue skulls and stars dotting his torso. He pulled up the sleeves, not used to his arms being fully covered, and adjusted the cuffs so the matching pattern on them could be seen. 

Looking down at himself, Karim felt for the first time that this body was his own. One of the many emotions unknown to him surfaced (painful, yet soothing), and he welcomed the bittersweet warmth it brought along with it. 

Wanting to show off, he decided to venture out of his room. He made his way into the kitchen, only to almost run directly into Malik as he was leaving. Malik's eyes were wide, and Karim looked over him with a bored expression before Karim's lips stretched into a manic-looking grin. "Boo." 

Malik sneered at him then, shoving Karim roughly aside. "You look ridiculous." 

Karim barked a laugh, calling to Malik's back. "So glad you approve, my other self." 

Malik turned, eyes burning with unrestrained anger. "I'm not any part of you, bastard." 

"No, just the part you didn't want." 

Sensing an argument, Rishid appeared between the two just as Malik took a step toward Karim. Karim saw Rishid reach for Malik's arm, and whisper something quietly to soothe his anger. It seemed to work, because Malik simply shot Karim one final glare before storming to his room. Both Rishid and Karim flinched at Malik slamming his bedroom door. 

Karim glanced at Rishid, before turning back into the kitchen. He grabbed himself a glass, momentarily ignoring Rishid who watched him from the doorway. 

"I'm not going to grab a knife, if that's what you're worried about." 

"This is the first time either of you have come out on your own." 

Karim paused, having just been reaching to open the fridge. He glanced at Rishid, then shrugged. "I was thirsty." 

With that he opened the fridge door, mostly staring at his cup knowing Rishid was keeping an eye on him. He was growing annoyed by that. "Why don't you go bother Malik?" 

Rishid let out a puff of air, like he was going to laugh but caught himself. "He needs time alone." 

Karim rolled his eyes, pouring himself a drink before putting the container back in the fridge. He paused before he made to leave, looking Rishid's way. "I want to change my name." 

Rishid met Karim's eyes then, a slight frown on his face. "Now?" 

"Yes," Karim huffed in annoyance, "I want a name that fits me." 

Rishid shook his head. "We already sent in for your docu-" 

"I don't care." Karim hissed, gripping his cup tightly, "It sounds like _his_ name, I want to choose." 

Rishid watched silently as Karim continued. "I can change it later, right? It's _my_ name, why should I accept the one I was given if I hate it? A name is what you're proud to be called by." 

"So you feel proud to be called Darkness?" 

Rishid's question make Karim pause, a confused expression growing on his face. He sipped from the cup, staring into it's contents like it held the answers he needed. "No," Karim finally replied, not looking up, "It suits me for what I am." 

Karim could feel Rishid's gaze on him, as if waiting for more of an answer. He heard Rishid shift before seeing his feet step into view. "When you decide what you really want to be named, we'll change it. For now, I will help you find a better name." 

* * *

"You are not going to name yourself Kek, are you kidding me?" 

Karim leered at Malik, who interrupted his and Rishid's name search on the laptop. He was only musing what could fit him, and Malik's presence in the matter soured. He huffed and turned back to the laptop. "Why not? Is our sister not named after Isis?" 

" _My_ sister," Malik hissed, balling his hand into a fist, "has nothing to do with this." 

Karim glanced at Malik and raised an eyebrow. "Does her name not suit her? Then tell me, Malik, why does Kek not suit me?" 

Rishid rubbed gently over the scars on his face, continuing to look through different name websites. "Please don't name yourself out of spite, Karim." 

Karim turned to glare at Rishid, but crossed his arms and watched the screen of the laptop. Spotting a particular name, he grinned. "Ramses." 

Malik barked a laugh, turning back to his room to put away his riding jacket and helmet, not wanting to deal with his other half anymore. "Don't let that get to you head, you can't be a pharaoh even if you wanted to." 

"Why not?" Karim sneered, jumping a little when Rishid put a hand on his shoulder. 

"Pharaoh's don't rule over Egypt, they haven't for years." 

Karim wrinkled his nose, disappointed that he somehow didn't know something like that. Another reminder that he was a fragment of someone else; someone who didn't bother sharing such knowledge with him. 

"I can still be named like one." He murmured, pulling his knees up to hug them to his body. 

"Would you really want to be named 'son of Ra'?" Rishid asked honestly, still looking through the website. 

Karim wrinkled his nose, sighed, and turned his attention back to the screen. He tried each name on his tongue but it didn't feel right. He spotted one name and pointed to it. "What about Jalal?" 

"That's not bad." Rishid mused, looking into the meaning of the name. It made him chuckle. 

"What?" 

"You would pick a name that means greatness." Rishid glanced at Karim. "Well?" 

He knew how he felt seeing the name, before knowing the meaning, and grinned. "From now on, I will be named Jalal." 

Rishid nodded, closing the window of the website and setting aside the laptop. "You can change your mind, if it stops feeling right." 

Jalal scoffed, crossing his arms. "I won't change my mind, it's better than Karim ever was!" 

He stood up, and turned to head to his room. He paused a moment, feeling as though he needed to thank Rishid. Jalal shook the thought from his head, and continued to his room. Rishid had done what he wanted, that's all he cared about. 

_Greatness_. He enjoyed the feeling the meaning of his new name gave him, something he felt proud to call himself. A reflection of who he truly was and how he wanted the world to see him. Jalal paused in front of the mirror in the hall, mouthing the name to himself and grinning. He puffed out his chest and smoothed back his hair, preening himself to look as great as he felt. 

He still felt off though, or something felt off, but he ignored the emotion. He didn't care for it as now he had a name of his own, and clothing of his own. All reflecting his _greatness_. In the moment, nothing else mattered to him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope the name change thing won't get too confusing. Also a little shot at a popular Yami Malik name, but it's with love :P


End file.
